6Who, Though He Was in the Form of God

Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

7but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

9Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue should confess

to the glory of God the Father

that Jesus Christ is Lord.

12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

09.28.2014

Jesus Christ Is Lord

I don’t tend to make much of it, but this is a Presbyterian church. It’s in our English name: “Presbyterian Church of the Lord.” Presbyterians, if you were not already aware, like order [SLIDE]. We take seriously Paul’s command that “all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). If you look at your bulletin you will see the order of worship neatly divided into three sections: Gathering, the Word, and Sending. Next week with communion there will be a fourth section: the Eucharist. Within the various sections you will see calls to worship and confession, prayers, hymn titles, a sermon title, and a charge and benediction all neatly laid out (as neatly as can be done in Microsoft Word).

As I said, Presbyterians value order. Our services are orderly. Our meetings are orderly. Our system of governance is nothing if not orderly, sometimes even frustratingly so. One of the downsides of being so concerned with order is that we move slowly. Every issue requires a meeting, with a report from a committee, and with people speaking in favor or against, and then a vote, which is also conducted orderly. There is so much order that sometimes it feels that by the time the vote is taken whatever the issue was is not so urgent anymore.

Presbyterians so value order that our book of governance is called the Book of Order. This is it [HOLD BOOK UP]. It’s at least printed in a cheerful green, which makes it somewhat inviting. As for the content, well, it’s a book that only a lawyer could love. It’s filled with rules, regulations, and guidelines that govern pastors, elders, deacons, and all church members. In addition, you can read all about the rules concerning the councils of the church, from the local church session, to the larger presbytery, to the still larger synod, and even the largest governing body, the general assembly. It’s quite a page turner.

In one of my seminary classes we had to study this book. In fact, one of the five ordination exams I took to become a pastor was based on the Book of Order. It was my least favorite of the five. But in studying the Book of Order I became impressed with one thing. Before you get to all the rules and regulations there is a section called The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity. Now, I know that’s not a sexy title. It sounds about as exciting as staring at a blank wall.

Chapter one of the Foundations is called “The Mission of the Church.” So before we get to any rules about governance, we first read about the mission of the church, which is, according to Section F-1.01, to proclaim the good news of God’s love, to offer the grace of God through the sacraments of baptism and communion, and to call all people to discipleship in Christ.

That’s a great start, but it’s the next section that I want to call our attention to. The section title is a full sentence: “Jesus Christ Is Head of the Church.” I’m going to read the first paragraph [SLIDE]:

Almighty God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and set him above all rule and authority, has given to him all power in heaven and on earth, not only in this age but also in the age to come. God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and has made Christ Head of the Church, which is his body. The Church’s life and mission are a joyful participation in Christ’s ongoing life and work.

Let’s look at that phrase: the “Lordship of Christ.” As Christians, we proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” You might have noticed that it is even the title of this sermon. It’s such an acknowledged tenet, or core belief, of Christianity that we often simply take it for granted. Yes, Jesus Christ is Lord, but now what? What does that mean?

Today I want to look at just what we mean when we proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” because as you probably already noticed, that is the final line of the hymn that Paul quotes in today’s scripture. And as we will soon see, it is a powerful, even radical claim.

But let’s first situate ourselves within this letter [SLIDE]. Paul is writing to the church in Philippi, which Paul and his companions, Silas and Timothy, founded. Philippi, which is in Greece, was one of the first churches that Paul founded, in or around A.D. 49. Probably for this reason, it retains a special place in Paul’s heart. For Paul has a closer relationship with the Philippians than he does with any of the other churches that he writes to. They have supported him while he is imprisoned, even sending a messenger to him bearing gifts, which Paul acknowledges later in the letter.

Also notable are the circumstances in which Paul writes the letter. He is in prison. So given his close relationship with the Philippian church and the fact that he is in prison, Philippians is the most emotionally charged of Paul’s letters. At the end of chapter 1 he writes about his desire to come to Philippi again, but given his circumstances, he is not sure if he will be able to do so. So he writes this letter to tell them what he wishes he could tell them in person.

At times he sounds like a father dispensing wisdom and advice to his children [SLIDE]. For example, at the end of chapter 1 he tells them, “Only live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). In other words, he is telling them, Do as I have taught you and make me proud.

Chapter 2 begins with Paul writing [SLIDE], “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (2:1-2).

Paul is calling on the Philippians to imitate Christ. What does that look like? Before Christ even began his ministry we learn what his ministry will consist of and what it will not. It will consist of humility and service to others and it will give glory to God; it will not seek selfish ambition or self-glorification.

Remember the temptations faced by Jesus in the wilderness? Satan first tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread and satisfy his hunger; then to throw himself from the temple to impress the crowds; and finally to bow to him so that he might be given all the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus resists these temptations to glorify himself. Similarly, Paul tells the Philippians not to do anything from selfish ambition or conceit. Christ could have been the kind of leader the world was accustomed to—the kind that Satan was tempting him to be—wearing a purple robe and sitting on a throne with a host of attendants waiting on him hand and foot. But the Son of God came not to be served but to serve. Similarly, Paul tells the Philippians not to look to their own interests, but to the interests of others.

This is counter-intuitive. It does not come naturally to us to look to the interests of others before our own. That is why we must put on Christ, or as Paul writes, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (2:5).

Did you notice what happens next in verse 6 [SLIDE]? Verses 1 to 5 are set as a paragraph, as are verses 12 to 13. But beginning with verse 6 Paul launches into poetic verse. Actually, most New Testament scholars believe that Paul is actually quoting a hymn of the early church. Verses 6 to 11 are a hymn to Christ that was probably sung in worship services by Christians of the first century.

Here in the English Ministry we don’t sing them, but we recite these words every week as our affirmation of faith. We affirm who Christ is—that he was God in the flesh. We affirm what Christ did—that he humbled himself by facing death, and a particularly demeaning death in crucifixion, which was reserved for hardened criminals and enemies of the state. We affirm what God did through Christ—that he exalted him above all things. And we are even told what will happen because of Christ—that every knee will bend and every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That’s quite a statement! That is a bold affirmation: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” It’s bold for a three reasons [SLIDE]. First, it’s a declaration of who Jesus was. He was more than a nice guy. He was more than a teacher of morals, however noble and righteous those morals may be. Jesus was not like Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, all of whom were great spiritual leaders who devoted their lives to working for peace and justice, but who were also flawed. As great as they were, as good as they were, none of them were worthy to be called “Lord.” To proclaim “Jesus Christ is Lord,” as we do, is to honor him as God.

Second, to affirm that “Jesus Christ is Lord” is to acknowledge not his greatness but his lack of greatness. What I mean, of course, is his lack of worldly greatness, i.e., the things by which the world tends to measure greatness: things like political power, wealth, and the number of one’s followers. Jesus refused to pursue political power, although that is just what some of the disciples wanted him do. Jesus also refused the allure of money. In fact, he spoke more about the dangers of money than just about any other topic. As for fame, while great crowds followed him, Jesus chose just twelve people to be his disciples. He was not concerned with having the largest congregation in town. His values were quite different from the typical values of the world. Instead of pursuing power, he emptied himself of power and took the form of a slave. Instead of pursuing wealth, he lived a life of poverty. Instead of pursuing fame, his ministry was a humble one, with a small band of disciples. So to proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord” is to affirm all the values for which he lived and for which he gave up his life.

Third, acknowledging Jesus as Lord affirms that…he…is…Lord. Death may have marked the end of his earthly ministry but it also marked the beginning of his eternal reign. For in Christ’s death, “God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name” (2:9). In exalting him, God affirmed and redeemed Christ’s life and death. The world may have denied the goodness and righteousness of Christ and all that he stood for, but in resurrecting him God affirmed both the person and work of Christ. Therefore, in honor of what God has done through Christ in exalting him, one day every knee will bend and every tongue will confess—to the glory of God the Father—that Jesus Christ is Lord. All creation will acknowledge the reign of Christ.

Finally, there is actually one more reason for the significance of proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord. I didn’t include it with the first three because it is not explicitly stated in the Christ hymn in today’s scripture. It is of personal significance to us, in that it doesn’t speak to who Christ is but to who we are in Christ [SLIDE]. If we proclaim for ourselves that, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then nothing and no one else is. Let’s unpack what that means for us.

For Christians of the first century, who lived in a world dominated by the oppressive power of Rome, it meant that the emperor himself would one day bend his knee to Jesus Christ. And for the record, at the time that Philippians was written, Rome was ruled by Nero—one of the more ruthless in a long line of ruthless emperors, and a persecutor of Christians. For Christians to suggest that even Nero himself would one day bend his knee to Christ should give us some understanding of the power of the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord!

We don’t live in a world dominated by the military might of Rome, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still forces in the world that threaten to oppress and that seek to become “lord” over us. They may be forces of personal oppression like addiction (to drugs, alcohol, pornography), or like depression, which instills a sense of hopelessness, or like an unhealthy or abusive relationship in which we feel trapped.

Or they may be forces of systemic oppression that are so much larger than us and against which we feel helpless. Let me give some examples. Seemingly every night on the TV news here in Seoul there is a report of corruption and scandal from every segment of society—from the government, from corporations, and even from the church. The greed infecting the leaders of this society is disheartening. For our neighbors to the north it is the oppression of living under a criminal regime that starves its people to feed its army. For the few Christians left in Iraq and Syria it is the murderous threat of radical Islamists.